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Warner performs U-turn after PM chat
FIFA power broker Jack Warner has been convinced that "this is England's time" for the World Cup after meeting Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The Prime Minister met Warner in Trinidad on Friday where Brown has travelled for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting.
Afterwards, Warner, who only last month criticised the England 2018 World Cup bid as "lightweight" and returned a gift of a designer handbag in fury, completed a virtual about turn in his view of the bid.
Warner, the president of the CONCACAF federation who controls three of the 24 FIFA executive committee votes, said: "It was an exceptionally good meeting - it was the best case I have heard for a long time about the World Cup being in England.
"I was very impressed by his humility, his sincerity his knowledge of the game, and most importantly he didn't feel England had any divine right. He felt that England's time had come - a point to which I subscribed.
"He said, and I agreed with him, that England has the best infrastructure to stage the tournament and that after a 52-year gap this is England's time."
Warner's comments last month sparked a crisis among England's bid leadership with internal arguments culminating in a reshuffle of the board. There was further turmoil earlier this week when Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards resigned his position on the board.
Warner added: "I was saddened when I heard that because I thought he was a tremendous asset that the FA needed."
The FIFA vice-president said his remarks last month had intended to help bid leaders see where they were going wrong. If he had any further concerns about the campaign he would raise them directly with Downing Street, he said.
"The Prime Minister was able to take some of the comments I made and promised to look into them. He was not thin-skinned at all.
"I was attempting to be constructive and I am sorry if people thought I was being destructive. But I was looking at the bigger picture and the bid seems to have new energy and impetus.
"I met the Prime Minister today and next week I will meet David Beckham in Cape Town. These are not for my ego, but they are the assets that the bid should be using and I am happy to see that they are being used."
FIFA power broker Jack Warner has been convinced that "this is England's time" for the World Cup after meeting Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The Prime Minister met Warner in Trinidad on Friday where Brown has travelled for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting.
Afterwards, Warner, who only last month criticised the England 2018 World Cup bid as "lightweight" and returned a gift of a designer handbag in fury, completed a virtual about turn in his view of the bid.
Warner, the president of the CONCACAF federation who controls three of the 24 FIFA executive committee votes, said: "It was an exceptionally good meeting - it was the best case I have heard for a long time about the World Cup being in England.
"I was very impressed by his humility, his sincerity his knowledge of the game, and most importantly he didn't feel England had any divine right. He felt that England's time had come - a point to which I subscribed.
"He said, and I agreed with him, that England has the best infrastructure to stage the tournament and that after a 52-year gap this is England's time."
Warner's comments last month sparked a crisis among England's bid leadership with internal arguments culminating in a reshuffle of the board. There was further turmoil earlier this week when Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards resigned his position on the board.
Warner added: "I was saddened when I heard that because I thought he was a tremendous asset that the FA needed."
The FIFA vice-president said his remarks last month had intended to help bid leaders see where they were going wrong. If he had any further concerns about the campaign he would raise them directly with Downing Street, he said.
"The Prime Minister was able to take some of the comments I made and promised to look into them. He was not thin-skinned at all.
"I was attempting to be constructive and I am sorry if people thought I was being destructive. But I was looking at the bigger picture and the bid seems to have new energy and impetus.
"I met the Prime Minister today and next week I will meet David Beckham in Cape Town. These are not for my ego, but they are the assets that the bid should be using and I am happy to see that they are being used."
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